Tee Higgins' standout production is no surprise to Burrow and Bengals

CINCINNATI (AP) — Through six games this season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is on pace to set a career-high in receptions, first down catches and receiving yards. And yet when Bengals coaches evaluate his game this season, they don’t see a completely different player than they’ve seen over the course of his seven-year career.

“I never really am aware of the statistics with him and Ja’Marr (Chase),” coach Zac Taylor said. “I just know if something doesn’t go well the game before, it’s going to even itself out. I’ve said that a lot to myself, it’s going to even itself out. The production has really been there with Tee.”

Going into Sunday's game against Tennessee, Higgins ranks 14th in receptions per game and fourth in yards per game. He caught six passes for 148 yards against the Ravens in a 35-13 win last weekend.

Higgins and Dallas' CeeDee Lamb are the only players this season to have multiple games with at least 145 receiving yards. He also has four games with at least 90 receiving yards after having only three all last season.

“I just go out there playing my ball,” Higgins said. “Zac was calling plays for me to get open, and I was able to get open.”

Higgins has had stretches like this over the course of his NFL career. In 2021, he topped 100 yards four times in a five-game stretch during the stretch run of the season. In 2022, he proved he was capable of being a No. 1 receiver with the way he played when Chase missed time with a hip injury. In games in 2024 against the Chargers and Broncos, he played like one of the best receivers on the planet.

His terrific start to the 2026 season is a continuation of some of the flashes that he has shown in his career.

“He has been so aggressive and as good as I’ve seen him in contested-catch situations, and he understands what we’re trying to do and the plays that we’re calling, and he’s just made some big-time plays for us,” quarterback Joe Burrow said. “That’s who he is, that’s who he’s always been, and we just have to keep giving him more opportunities to go and do it.”

In last Sunday’s win, Higgins didn’t have a single catch in the first half.

Taylor said, “At halftime, I’m like, ‘Hey, Tee, we’re going to get (you the ball).’”

Higgins responded, “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go score and win.‘”

It was another example of Higgins’ patience and leadership. Then in the second half, he took over the game.

The game changed with a 19-yard strike to Higgins over the middle of the field on the Bengals’ first series of the second half.

“The thing you really see there is trust from Joe,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said about the play. “When the ball leaves his hand, Roquan (Smith) still has four or five yards of inside leverage on Tee. He doesn’t necessarily see Tee. Tee does a really good job of shaping the route. Usually, you shape out cuts to the boundary and come back to the ball. The same is true on in cuts. Normally, the guy doesn’t come back from behind the defender.”

It was the first of many special moments from Higgins, who also delivered an explosive catch on a scramble play and a contested catch on a deep ball down the sideline.

“We were just playing team football,” Higgins said. “I was able to get open in some of those voids and make plays.”

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) runs the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) catches a pass as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) defends during the second half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) celebrates a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Wendy’s shares jumped more than 14% Wednesday after noted investor Nelson Peltz made an offer to buy the chain, which has been struggling with high beef prices and aging stores.

Peltz’s Trian Fund Management and several partners are offering Wendy’s $7.35 per share in cash, or a premium of nearly 19% over the stock’s closing price on Tuesday, in a deal that would take the company private.

Wendy's, which is based in Dublin, Ohio, confirmed receipt of the unsolicited proposal in a statement Wednesday and said its board has formed an independent committee to evaluate it. At the end of last year, Wendy's had 5,969 restaurants in the U.S. and 1,428 outlets in 38 countries.

Wendy's, founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas and named after his daughter, is known for its square burgers and Frosty desserts. The fast-growing chain introduced the drive-thru window in 1970 and went public in 1976. In the 1980s, as it jockeyed for sales with McDonald's and Burger King, Wendy's launched salad bars and ran its iconic “Where's the beef?” ad campaign.

But as the fast-food market grew even more competitive and rival burger-focused chains like In-N-Out and Five Guys expanded, Wendy's fell behind. Wendy's share of U.S. burger chain sales fell from 11.5% in 2019 to 10.4% last year, according to Technomic, a market research company.

In recent years, inflation has also hurt Wendy's and other U.S. fast-food chains, who have seen traffic from lower-income consumers fall as they raised prices to combat rising labor, food and packaging costs.

Wendy’s said Wednesday it is moving “with urgency” to rebuild its menu with a focus on quality and improve marketing and store operations. Wendy’s hired Bob Wright, who formerly led Potbelly, as its president and CEO in May. He’s the fourth CEO to lead the company since 2024.

Wendy's has been closing outdated U.S. restaurants so it can focus on its more profitable locations. The company closed 240 restaurants in 2024 and said earlier this year that it planned to shutter up to 358 locations in 2026.

Then, last month, one of the largest U.S. franchisees for Wendy’s filed for bankruptcy protection after the chain tried to terminate its franchise agreement. Michigan-based Meritage Hospitality Group operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states.

In a letter to the company’s board of directors, Peltz said going private “will deliver the best outcome for the broader stakeholder base.”

“Wendy’s sits at a critical juncture," Peltz wrote. "The external environment has become increasingly challenging given the significant pressures on the U.S. consumer, economic uncertainty, persistent commodity inflation and intensifying competition, particularly within the QSR (quick service restaurant) burger category."

Peltz has invested in companies from Procter & Gamble and Disney to DuPont. According to a regulatory document filed Wednesday, Trian’s stake in Wendy’s totals 16.3%.

Peltz considered a take-private bid for Wendy's in 2022 but told the company in January 2023 that he had decided against it, citing its improved business momentum, according to TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles.

Charles said an independent special committee is expected to evaluate the proposal and both parties have entered into a confidentiality arrangement.

“In our view, a take-private makes sense as Wendy’s turnaround is likely to be prolonged given the challenged state of the lower-income consumer and soft state of the quick service burger category,” Charles wrote Wednesday in a note to investors.

Wendy's is scheduled to report its quarterly financial results next week. Analysts expect the company to post earnings of 9 cents per share on sales of $531 million, according to FactSet.

Shares rose 89 cents to $7.03 Wednesday. They have fallen 26% since the start of this year.

FILE - A sign stands over a Wendy's restaurant, Feb. 25, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)